The Value
of The "American Home" in Vladimir, Russia
By Charity Ryabinkin
Lead Teacher, American English Program 1998-99
Carleton College (Minnesota), B.A., Russian Language & Culture

Walking down the frosty
streets of Vladimir, one is hard pressed to find any signs of Western
culture. All around are symbols of old Russia: the glorious Golden
Gates, the imposing Uspenskii Sobor, the babushkas selling potatoes
at the markets. In contrast to many European cities, and indeed, to
Moscow and St. Petersburg, it is nearly impossible to find a billboard
written in English. Vladimir is, in almost every respect, hard-core
Russian.

Or so it would seem. One's
initial impression of Vladimir is sure to change with a bit of investigation.
Ask any cab driver in town what "Letneperevozinskaya, house 3"
means and he'll say, "That's the address of the American Home."
Talk to the English-speaking students at the Pedagogical University
and many of them will tell you they study at the American Home. Turn
on the television and you'll see a group of enthusiastic American
Home teachers wishing the people of Vladimir a Happy New Year. In
short, the American Home has become something of a legend in this
sleepy winter wonderland. With approximately 250 students taking classes
every semester, the interaction between Russians and Americans has
reached new heights.

The American Home exists
not only to provide its students with high-quality English instruction,
but to spice up the study of English with cultural information and
American humor. At the Home, becoming familiar with American slang
and colloquial speech plays as great a role as mastering English grammar.
Students are encouraged to do everything they can to effectively communicate
with each other during class. And the learning doesn't stop there.
Three Saturdays a month, students are invited to watch English-language
movies in the American Home "rec-room." In addition, upper-level
students are welcome to participate in English Club events which are
held at least once a month during the academic year. Such events have
included parties for Halloween, Christmas, Valentine's Day, lectures
given by teachers and guest speakers, and baseball games on the lawn.

While one obvious reason
behind the American Home's success is its emphasis on fun, another
important factor is the incredible opportunity that it has made available
to the people of Vladimir. A large percentage of the locals have never
left Russia. Some of them have not made it as far as Moscow. But here,
only a trolley bus-ride away from their homes, is a bastion of American
culture. Six native speakers. Hundreds of books and magazines. Dozens
of films. America, the beautiful, right in Vladimir's backyard.

Among other things, studying
at the American Home has prompted many of our students to inquire
about exchange programs in the United States. To aid them in these
endeavors, we have invited study abroad program representatives from
Moscow to speak on several occasions. Our students are now aware of
the countless options they have. A substantial number of them are
eager to study in American universities and are grateful for the information
and assistance the American Home staff is able to provide. One of
my students, Lena Yakuseva, expressed shocked delight when I actually
agreed to write her a recommendation for her to study at a university
in America. Apparently one of her Russian professors had offered to
"help" her in this capacity on the condition that she write
this recommendation herself! Needless to say, ethics in Russia differ
from ethics in America. Our students are invariably struck by the
way that we conduct affairs at the American Home. This experience
will likely prove invaluable to those who choose to pursue careers
in areas such as international business.

Not surprisingly, our students
are quite happy at the American Home. One student, Roman Ryabinkin,
has commented that "students can learn English anywhere they
want, but only at the American Home can they interact with native
speakers" Gregory Fateev enjoys studying at the American Home
because there he engages in "international communication that
helps everyone understand each other." Ksenya Tsaryova likes
the American Home because the "lessons are especially interestingyou
can talk, speak, ask, answer, argue, and feel the English around you."
Lena Spiridonova has this to say: "My English classes at the
university are boring. When I say something wrong, my teacher bites
my head off. At the American Home, teachers are always nice and understanding."
This emphasis on positive feedback is one element of the American
Home's pedagogy that continues to attract students. They are constantly
impressed by the open, friendly atmosphere in our classes. A number
of our students are currently studying at the Vladimir State Pedagogical
University in order to become certified foreign language teachers.
One can only assume that the American Home's progressive methods will
"rub off" on them. In this connection, Svetlana Kontarchuk
writes, "The American Home is 'cooler' and better than school.
Here you can relax and speak on various topics. The atmosphere is
friendly and we celebrate American holidays. It's the best way to
learn."

Equally satisfied are the
teachers who work at the American Home every year. Living in Vladimir
for a year, sometimes two, affords them the opportunity to witness
the slow and fascinating transformation that is currently taking place
in Russia. As mentioned above, the American Home is one of the few
signs of Western influence in Vladimir. Only very recently did MTV-Russia
arrive in town, further exemplifying the gradual changes that will
occur over the next couple of decades as Western influence becomes
more prevalent. It is an incredibly exciting time to be in Russia.
Teaching at the American Home allows one to observe these changes
firsthand. This year's financial crisis, while certainly not a pleasant
reality, has made working here particularly interesting. The fact
that people who haven't received a paycheck or pension in months,
yet somehow manage to survive, clearly demonstrates the incredible
nature of Russian life.

In addition to the cultural,
social, economic, and historical education that one can receive in
Vladimir, the chance to greatly improve one's Russian is another major
benefit. Teachers work along side a Russian staff and live with Russian
host families. This informal language training is complemented by
three hours a week of lessons with private tutors. It is impossible
to walk away from this experience without a noticeable improvement
in one's language ability.

All in all, the American
Home provides a program that benefits both the students and the teachers.
Such a situation is difficult to find these days in Russia. It is
a program in which everyone wins.

NOTE: An abbreviated version
of this essay was published in the January-February 2000 issue of
Transitions Abroad magazine. Also, in May 1999 Charity married American
Home staff member Roman Ryabinkin. They have both found challenging
jobs in the U.S.